The best 12 examples of sales promotion for your store

Much is said about "making promotions," but little is spoken about what types of promotions exist and why some work so well 🤑

For this article, I took the time to thoroughly research the types of sales promotions, when to use them, and how the brands that convert best online do it. Additionally, I analyzed 12 real-life examples of promotions with the YaVendió team, e-commerce sales experts.

So if you're looking for fresh ideas for your next promotion or simply want to understand how to do a promotion well, stick around. This will help you a lot 💪

To start, what are sales promotions?

Sales promotions are specific strategies that brands use to incentivize purchase. They can be discounts, gifts, combos, coupons, or even sweepstakes.

But beware: it's not just about "lowering prices," but about generating a clear impulse for the customer to act now.

Well thought out, they help you increase sales, attract new customers, retain the ones you already have, move stock, and even position your brand in the consumer's mind. 

What types of promotions exist?

There are various types of promotions that you can use depending on your business objectives. Remember that sales promotions are powerful tools if you know how to use them with strategy, not just on impulse.

Sales promotions according to the objective

First, identify what you're looking to achieve by offering a promotion. Here are some types of promotion according to your main goal:

Increase sales 💸

If what you want is to generate more sales quickly, limited-time promotions or aggressive discounts may be the answer. These types of promotions work because they create a sense of urgency and motivate people to make quick purchasing decisions.

For example:

• Flash sales for 24 hours: "Only today: 25% off the entire store until 11:59 p.m. Don't miss it!"

Customer loyalty 🥰

Promotions such as reward programs or exclusive offers for members are perfect when aiming to build long-term relationships with your customers. With these, you not only incentivize purchase but also keep customers engaged with your brand.

For example: 

• Birthday discount: "Happy birthday! 🎉 We give you 15% OFF to use throughout your month."

Attract new customers 🎯

If your goal is to expand your customer base, referral promotions or first-purchase coupons are ideal. You can increase traffic to your store by offering a discount for recommending friends or giving a gift for the first purchase ;)

For example: 

• Discount for first purchase: "First time here? We give you 10% OFF just for signing up 🥳"

Move inventory or clearances 🛒

"Buy one and get another" promotions or volume discounts are especially useful when you need to get rid of old inventory or sell large quantities of products quickly.

For example:

• End-of-season sale: "Close the season with crazy discounts. Up to 60% OFF on selected items!"

Create brand awareness 📢

In this case, partnerships with other brands or contests and giveaways on social media can help you increase your business's visibility, generate conversation, and attract a wider audience.

For example: 

• Collaborations with influencers or local brands: "Special launch with Butrich: limited edition available only this week."

Now that you've identified your objective, let's analyze the 12 most effective types of promotions for online stores - including real promotion examples to help you understand how to apply them.

The 12 most effective types of promotions for online stores (with real examples)

If you're wondering what types of promotions you can do to sell more, this section is for you.

Together with the YaVendió team, I've gathered and analyzed the 12 most effective types of promotions for businesses that sell online:

• Limited-time discounts

• Free shipping over a certain amount

• Buy one, get one free or buy two, get one free promotions

• Discount coupons at checkout

• Gifts with purchase

• Referral program

• Exclusive discounts for subscribers

• Seasonal promotions 

• Interest-free months

• Price per volume

• Cross promotions and partnerships

• Discounts for mentions

Whether you have a virtual store, a business on social media, you sell through WhatsApp or another online platform, you can get inspired by this selection of the best promotion examples. Let's look at them in detail.

1.- Limited-time discounts

The most classic promo... and one of the most effective! It's about offering a discount for a short period to encourage quick purchase. 

The campaign of SuperPet "Holiday Mode" is a great example for this sales promotion. The well-known online store for pet food and care launched discounts valid only for a week ending on Easter holidays. 

SuperPet knows its audience and knew that during holidays, pet owners might go for trips outside the city or face difficulties in getting products for their pets. Thus, they invited them to prepare with these discounts.

2.- Free shipping over a certain amount

A simple yet powerful offer: if the customer buys more, they don't pay shipping! This tactic encourages filling the cart a bit more and improving the average ticket without having to offer a direct discount.

For this promotion example, we have Cuidafarma.pe who launched a summer campaign with free delivery for exceeding a purchase amount through their website:

3.- Buy one, get one free or buy two, get one free promotions

"Get more for less" is an irresistible formula. The classic buy one, get one free or buy two, get one free works perfectly to move inventory, especially for products of fast rotation or fashion.

For example, Tambo, the convenience store chain in Peru, offered a promotion of "pay for 2 and get 3" in its beer category during a weekend. All this exclusively for purchases through their website and mobile application. 

This sales promotion example also demonstrates high consideration of their target audience who are highly digital young adults.

4.- Discount coupons at checkout

A promotional coupon can speed up the purchase process and turn a hesitant visitor into a happy customer. It can even incentivize people who have never been in your store to make their first purchase.

Communicate it on your digital channels or keep it as a surprise coupon for those who reach the checkout.

For this type of promotion, the example comes with Samsung. They shared a discount coupon during their campaign "Sale Days" - exclusive for white goods products like refrigerators and washing machines.

5.- Gifts with purchase

Who doesn't like receiving something extra? Whether it's a sample, a complementary product, or a detail from the brand, this type of promotion generates good vibes with the customer and adds more value to their purchase.

As an example of this promo we have PuroSnacks who gave away a snack from their main chocolate category on all orders during the Christmas season

6.- Referral program

Turn your customers into your best sellers. With a referral program, you reward those who recommend you and attract new customers without investing in ads. It's like digital word of mouth, but with a prize for your most enthusiastic customers.

For example, Tiendamia launched a referral program where both the person referring and their friends get a credit for future purchases on their website.

7.- Exclusive discounts for subscribers

Make your followers feel VIP! Offering promos only for those on your email or WhatsApp list is a way to reward loyalty and keep your community more active than ever.

Tottus knows how to apply this promotion perfectly and often sends exclusive discounts to the email of their customers. It is very useful for generating purchases from customers who haven't done so in a while or to express how valuable a customer is to your brand.

8.- Seasonal or campaign promotions 

Take advantage of key dates on the calendar (Christmas, Black Friday, Valentine's Day) to launch special offers. Consumers are already in "buy mode," they just need a good excuse to choose your store.

Buscalibre, the online bookstore, makes use of these types of promotions in every commercial date. Therefore, it is the ideal example of seasonal sales promotion. 

In the last Black Friday, Buscalibre launched incredible discounts with an aggressive campaign both by email and on social media.

They not only relied on the discount but also applied a sense of urgency highlighting "the last hours" and offered free shipping. An irresistible promotion for book lovers.

9.- Interest-free months

The "Interest-free months" promotion is ideal for high-ticket items. The option of paying in installments without interest can make the difference between closing a sale and a "better I'll think about it." Here it's about providing the customer with more flexibility and confidence to make the purchase.

For example, Nikon Center Chile, offered up to 12 installment payments without interest on all their products just before Christmas. For this, customers had to pay with Webpay on their website! A strategic promotion from wherever you look!

10.- Price per volume

In this type of promo, customers pay less the more they buy, and it works very well with wholesalers or to encourage group purchases. Also, it helps you move stock faster if you need to renew your catalog for upcoming campaigns.

See how Merqueo, a 100% digital supermarket with presence in Colombia and Mexico, does it. On their anniversary, they implemented a volume pricing strategy and offered discounts on products like eggs and milk when they were bought in quantities. 

11.- Cross promotions and partnerships

Partnering with another store or business allows you to extend your reach and offer attractive combos. Make sure both have complementary products and similar audiences. Think of it this way: Two brands, one promo, and everyone wins (even the algorithm!) 

An example of this sales promotion is Netzun x Linio. Both tech-related brands formed an alliance to create this Cyber promo: "Shop at Linio and get a free Netzun course".

If you notice, both brands benefit and have complementary offers for the tech audience. While Lineo sells a laptop, Netzun gains a student for its platform.

12.- Discounts for mentions on social media

Encourage your customers to share their experience with your brand on Instagram or TikTok. In exchange, give them a coupon for their next purchase or a gift. It's an organic and economical way to gain visibility. Besides, you obtain user-generated content, which is always good for your brand's reputation.

In this case, La boutique de la innovación gives us an example with its promotion "Share and Win". To participate, customers must share a video of their experience with their products on social media and thus earn a credit in their favor. Simple and impactful!

When to promote in your online store?

You should know that there is no single answer to when is best to launch promotions, but there are strategic moments where they can make a big difference in your sales. 

Here are the best moments to launch your sales promotions:

• Key e-commerce dates: Days like Black Friday, Cyber Wow, or Christmas are perfect opportunities to apply different sales promotions that take advantage of high traffic and consumer purchase desire.

  
  

• Product or collection launches: A special promo (like an exclusive discount or a gift with purchase) can create anticipation and accelerate conversion.

  
  

• Low seasons or end of the month: It's not all about big events. When sales tend to fall, you can use creative promotions to reignite interest. 

  
  

• Near the end of the quarter, it is common for many online stores to apply clearance sales or strategic offers to achieve their goals.

In any of these cases, the important thing is to have clarity on what types of promotions exist and how to adapt them to your store and commercial goals.

How to plan and make sales promotions?

Step 1: Identify your objective

Before launching any promotion, ask yourself: What do I want to achieve? It's not the same to attract new customers as to retain those you already have. You could also want to clear inventory, increase the average ticket or simply make noise with your brand.

Having clarity on your objective is what will allow you to choose the right type of promotion and then measure if it worked or not. This is the starting point for everything that follows, don't skip it!

Step 2: Choose the promotion and define how it will work

Once you know your objective, choose a promo that helps you reach it. For instance, if you want to move stock, a buy one, get one free or "last units with discount" can work. Review the 12 examples of sales promotions we discussed above to find the one you need.

Here, you should also define the terms and conditions of the promotion: Is there a minimum amount?, Does it apply to certain products?, Are there restrictions? The clearer the rules are, the fewer doubts your customers will have, and the better their shopping experience will be.

Step 3: Determine how you will communicate your promotion

A promotion is useless if nobody knows about it. Therefore, you should decide where and how you are going to communicate it. Think about the channels where your customers interact the most: social media, email, banners on your website, or WhatsApp.

Additionally, if you already use WhatsApp as a sales channel, you can make even better use of it with a virtual artificial intelligence (AI) seller, like those from YaVendió! The AI can sell your products automatically via WhatsApp and even mention your promotions at strategic moments of the conversation.

💡 Learn why more online businesses choose YaVendió! to automate their sales.

Step 4: Prepare your marketing resources

It's time to translate your promotion strategy into concrete pieces. The copies must be clear, brief, and persuasive; the banners should highlight the essentials of the promo; and if you use a landing page, it should be straight to the point: without distractions and with a visible buy button.

Think of each resource as part of the customer's journey. Everything should lead from attention to action.

Step 5: Launch, measure, and adjust

When you launch your promotion, don't neglect measurement. Monitor metrics from day 1 and analyze your results at the end: How many people took advantage of the promo?, Did you increase sales?, Did it bring new leads?

Each promotion is an opportunity to learn. Adjust what didn't work, double down on what did, and gradually you will create a sales strategy that not only looks good but truly sells.

Create your winning promo!

By applying the right types of promotions, you can turn a casual visit into a sale... and a sale into a long-term relationship.

You now have the examples, ideas, and guide to put it into practice. Now only the most important thing is missing: taking action. Your best promo starts today 😉